Upholstery button driver
OwnerArthur J. Randolphinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tufting machine feeds upholstered female and male button parts into drive mechanisms above and below a central table for receiving a cushion to be tufted. A retractable needle drive assembly forms an aperture through a cushion on the table along a drive axis of the machine, and, following retraction, a male button driver moves a male button part into the aperture and holds this button part on the drive axis while an upper drive mechanism drives a female button part onto the male button part to lock the parts together to complete a single tufting operation. Safety means prevent damage to elements and mechanisms of the tufting machine by possible malfunctioning or improper operation.
Claims20
A tufting machine for inserting a two part upholstered button with interlocking male and female button parts in a workpiece comprising
- a table for receiving a workpiece to be tufted and having an aperture therethrough about a drive axis of the tufting machine,
- a retractable needle drive mechanism having means to move a needle into alignment with a drive axis which projects through the aperture in said table and said needle being movable through said aperture along said drive axis to create a gap in said workpiece,
- a male button driver having means for holding a male button part on a drive plate and moving said drive plate between a retracted and extended position for driving a shank of said part through said aperture and through the gap in said workpiece,
- a male feed mechanism feeding successive male button parts onto said male button driver in a retracted position,
- a jaw mechanism having pivotal jaws and movable to compress a workpiece on said table at the aperture therethrough,
- a female button driver having means for holding a female button part and movable between a retracted and extended position for driving a female button part through said jaws onto a male button part extending through said gap in said workpiece, and
- a female button feed mechanism extending to said female button driver for feeding successive female button parts into said female button driver in a retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.